Method and apparatus for the manufacture and conditioning of skelp bar



Nov. 25, 1930. O wfsHEE Dso J 1,782,700

I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND CONDITIONING OF SKELP BAR Filed Aug. 22, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l J. W. SHEPERDSON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND CONDITIONING OF SKELP BAR Nov. 25', 1930.

Filed Aug. 22, 192'! 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov- 25,1930- J. W. SHEPERDSON v 1,732,700

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND CONDITIONING OF SKELP BAR Filed Aug. 22. 1927 :s Sheets-Sheet s Patented NovQ 25 1 930 JOHN w. si rnrnfisnson, or WORCESTER; MASSACHUSETTS, Ass'IoNoR TO moneen oon sTRUoTIoN'coi/IPANY, 0F wonons'rnn, MAssAoHusEr'rs, oon-rona'rr 'SACHUSETTSIT tEitSuE METHOD mn pmmws Fort THE MANUFACTURE annconninonmeor a SKELP BAR Appiieation filed August 22,; 1927. Serial n. 214,703,

The present invention relates to'the prepation of a the metal stock, known as s'kelp, Which is used in the manufacture of piPcs-suchstock, as is'well known, being 5; rolled in fiat, elongated strip form, and being subsequently,curved transversely on a mandrel, or in a suitable die, to permit the WeldingQto-gether of' its" opposite longitudinal edges, toform an elongatedpipe or tube.

In order to adapt such skelp bar to the above-described operation of forming it into I pipepit 'is' necessary that the frontend of each piece be suitably pointed, cupped and bent, and the present 'invention resides in a novel method for continuouslysecuring such pointing, "cupping 'and bending "on successively deliveredpiecesof'skelp in their passage from the rolling niillto the cooling bed, or other receiving; device, onwhich they are piled and cooled." The invention also resides l in the novel combinations and arrangements of apparatus by which the above results are obtained. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from i the following detailed description thereof,

reference being had in thisconnection to the accompanying drawings, in Wl11Cl1-- Fig. l is a plan; View, showing a port on of the a} )pa'ratus employed in the invention.

I l -is a similar plan View of the remainder of the apparatus, being a eontinuatlon from the lefthand end ofFig. 1. i

Fig. 2gis acornbined underneath, side, and the View ofthe front end of the stock, as deli 'ered'to the apparatus from the rolling Fig. 3 is a similar View ofthe stock, as acted upon by aportion of the apparatus.

flTig. a a similar View of the stooloin the form that'it is delivered tothec'ooling'bed. i

ig. 5is anenlar ged fragmentary View of certain cutter discsemployed in the apparatuso'f Flg. L a

" Fig. 6 is an end View ofthefrollsshown in Fig. Tisan" enlarged tragmentary vieWof certain rolls employed in Fig P Q Figs. 8 and 8*, areenlarged "fragmentary flviews showing the relative elevations of the two sets ofcutter rolls shewrrin Fig. 1.

form.

Like reference characters refer to like parts 111 the different figures.

packs or stacks, for cooling. After cooling,

each piecehas to be individually presented I to a special shearing and pressing device, WhlGll cu'is off the corners oi each front end,

ously cups and bends saidend to the desired i ll this preparation involves consid erable hand labor and interposes 1a proportionately long delay before the stock can lbe reheated for presentation to the usual pipe formin instrument'alities.

According to the present nvention, all the preparatory operations of pointing, cupping and bending the skelp are performed as con tinuations of the rolling process, the apparatus being so arranged thateach successive piece cut oflby the usual shear is subjected,

on its way to the cooling bed, to the necessary p ointing, cupping and bending as an incident ot ts fQPWa-I'dH1OV6H16I1t,;W1tl1 the result that the packs o'r piles of bars formed on said bed,

instead of being composed of pieces that must be subsequently p0inted, cupped and bent, are composed of pieces that are already pointed, cupped and bent, and ready to be madeinto pipe. The method which secures this result 'UVNIT PW A PATENT OFFICE sired lengthsby the usual shear, and then this i partially finished product is conveyedtoa cooling bed a-ndthere-piled up flatwise, in

and an arrangeinentof apparatusadaptedto carry out saidsmethodwill now be described iu detalll i Referring to ig. 1,{t he nu 1neral 1 sents' dia-gra nniaticallytheusua-l sheafor cutting into the desired lengths the' finished stock as it emerges from the final reducing rolls, not showinof a skelp bar mill; Qne

or more high speed conveyor rolls 2 ofordinary construction are placed beyond the v shear l, andserve-inthe manner wen-1mm to project the successively ueen piecesyin and a cooling bed 3, Fig. 1; said interposed means act on each piece so forwarded, in such a manner as to point, cup and bend its front end before the cooling bed is reached, an that the skclp which is received on said cooling bed needs no further preparation.

Said interposed means are here shown as conipr g, firstly, a series of rotating skewed rolls a l, with their axes so disposed with reference to the line of delivery of the skelp bars as to move the material into edgewise contact with a side uide p The. side guide 5 and opposite side guide 6, having an entrance portion 7, extend adjacent the ends of said skewed rolls 4, 4 and forwardly in similar relation to the ends of other subsequent series of skewed rolls, as hereiiuifter described.

As carried forward by the rolls 4-, st, in edgewise contact with the side guide 5, each piece of sltelp bar has its front end introduccd into the bite of a pair of rotating cutter discs 8, 9, the latter being of the special construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and overhanging the side guide 5, as shown in Fig. 1, with their axes diagonal to said side guide. 'lhese cutter discs 8 and 9 are rotated in unison but in opposite directions at high speed, by any suitable means, their shafts being seared together, as shown in Figure 1. The lower cutter disc 8 provides a cutting or shearing flange 10 for cooperation with a cutting edge 11. of upper cutter disc 9, the

latter, beyond said edge 11, having aconcave entension 12 in matching relation to a convex extension 13 beyond the flange 10 of cut ter disk 8. [is shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the axis of the lower cutter disc 8 is advanced with respect to the axis of the upper roll 9, for av purpose to be hereinafter described.

The action of the skewed cutter discs 8 and 9 on the front end of each piece is to cause a combined forward and sidewise movement of said end away from said guide 5, simultaneously with the severance ctiected by the cooperating edges 10 and 11, the result being that one front corner of the piece as shown in 3 is clipped oil, by a cut extending diagonally from the front edge to the side edge of the piece to produce ti. 0 result shown at 14 in Fig. 3; at the same time, this diagonal edge 1% is cupped downwardly, as shown at 15, by the cooperating extensions 12 and E3 of the rolls. And fin'therrnore, this pointing and cuppin is acconipa ied by a definite ip ard bend of the material. for the length of said diagonal edge 14, owing to advancementof the lower cutter discs axis above described, which allows the bite of said rolls 8 and 9 to be above the plane of travel of the stock on rolls 4, 4.

The action of skewed cutter discs 8 and 9, effecting sidewise movement of each piece toward the side guidefi, is continued by a series of skewed conveyor rolls 16, 16,,so positioncd as to act on each piece as it is delivered from the rotary cutting discs 8 and 9. These rolls 16, 16, have their axes oppositely skewed to the axes of said rolls 4, l, and in consequence each piece is bodily transferred into edgewise contact with the side guide 6. These rolls 16, 16 project the front end of the piece into the bite of another set or pair of pointing, cupping, and bending'cutter discs, designated 8, 9', which are of the same construction and arrangement as the cutter discs 8 and 9, but which overlie the side guide 6, and are skewed oppositely to the cutter discs 8 and 9. Said discs 8 and 9 are at a slightly higher elevation than the preceding cutter discs 8 and 9, as shown in Figs. 8 and 8, to aline the bite of said rolls 8' and 9 with the previously bent-up front endv of the piece.

As before, the action of these cutter discs 8 and 9' is to clip oil a corner of said front end, this time the corner opposite to the one previously clipped oil, so as to produce a diagonal edge 18, which is sinnlltaneously curled downwardly, as shown at 19, Fig. 1. This operation completes the pointing, cupping and bending of the piece as an incident of its continuous forward movement from the shear 1 to the cooling bed 3, said piece, in the condition shown in Fig. 4, now passing onto conveyor rolls 21, Fig. 1, which secure its continued forward movement. The stock, now in condition for piling or packing on the cooling bed 3, must have its speed very appreciably reduced from the high speed prevailing in thepointing and cupping or curling operation; 1t 13 now proposed, as an 111C1- dent to its speed reduction, to shingle the successive pieces as they are forwarded longitudinally to the cooling bed. Ordinary hor zontal pinch rolls to efiect this shnighng and speed reduction would operate to flatten out the cupped and bcnt front ends of the skelp bars, and therefore vertical rolls, 22, 22, for

this purpose are employed, said rolls being grooved, as shown at 23, 23, Fig. 7, with the peripheral portions of said grooves spaced apart by the width of each bar behind its pointed front end. The bottom of each groove forms a vertical rotating plane by which the outer edge ofthe stock is carried forward, without effecting any sidewise or vertical restraint to disturb the cupped or arccd point of the piece. By driving the rolls 22, 22 at a suitable speed from any suit-- able (1 -iving means, not shown, each piece f stock will be delivered onto the slower conveyor rolls Ql, 2% just ahead, with its first end lapped over the last end of the previously delivered piece, in shingled relation.

Beyond the slow conveyor rolls 24, 24 are disposed another set of vertical grooved rolls 25, 25, preferably of the same construction and arrangement as the rolls 22, and operating to project each piece onto the cooling bed 3, where its front end. brings up against a suitable stop. 'lhese rolls 25, 25 pile thebars flatwise on thecooling bed in pack formation, and upon the completion of such a pacln'containing the desired number of bars, the same is adapted tobe moved broadside on the coolmg bed by any well known means,- not shown.

'l hiscompletsthe preparation of the skeip f barsfor the pipe making process,-the operation being a continuous and uninterrupted one, as to each bar,'from the time it leaves the finishing rolls l of the mill, 7

Iclaim: p I I, 1. In the manufacture of skelpbar, the n'nprovement WlllCll consistsin continu ng ,-the forward longitudinalmovement ofsuccessively cut-oil pieces of the hot rolled product of a skeip bar mill, and during such forward loiigitudinal movement subjecting the front end of each piece to pointing, cup

ping and bending operations, in the travel thereof from said mill to a other recewing device.

cooling bed or 2. 1n the manufacture of skelpba'r, the l11lprovenient which consistsin imparting longitudinal movement to successively cut-off piecesbf' the hot rolled product of a skelp bar mill, and during said movement cutting off first one corner and then the other corner of the front end of each piece.

8. In the manufacture of skelp barjthe improvement which consists in in'rparting longitudinal movement to successively cutoff plecesof' the hot rolled product of a skelp bar null, and durlng such movement sub ecting the first end of each piece .to the action successively of "oppositely slrewed cuttmg rollers. I

i. In themanufacture of skelp bar, the

improvement which consists in initially forwarding each piece ofthe hot rolled material, while maintainmg one longitudinal edge thereof in contact witha slde-gulde, then sevimprovement which consists in subjecting fi st one front corner andthen'the opposite frontjczornerof successively cut-off pieces of the hot rolled product of a skelp bar mill to oblique severance and simultaneous cupping, in the contmuous longitudinal travel thereof from a rolling mill to a cooling bed.

6. In the manufacture of skelp bar, the inn provement which consists in first subjecting to pointing, cupping and bending operations the front ends of successively cut-off pieces ofthe hot rolledstoclrin the continuous lOlk gitudinal movement of said pieces between the cutting-oh 'HIQCllfllllSlllftlKl a cooling. bed,

then shingling thepieces so operated upon durlng sald, longitudinal movement, and

imove said corners andthereby' front end of the plece'.

finally assembling them by said nlovementin packs orpiles on saidcoolingbed.

7. In apparatus of the class described, means for initially procuring longitudinal movement of successive pieces of skelp barin a-ipredetermined path, (a pair of rotating cutter discs insaid path having theiiqa res skewed with r lerence thereto, therebyfto sever obliquelyjone front corner of each piece andfsimultaneo usly to shift each piecebroadside, means for continuing the longitudinal movement of each p1ece1n a predeterimner path offset from said first-nientmned path,

and a second pair of rotating, cutter discs in said second path havingtheir axes skewer with reference thereto, thereby to severr obliquely therother front corner of each piece.

8. Inapparatus oftheclass described, the

combination with means for coiitin'uously forwarding successive pieces cut 0ff"fron1 thehot rolled'product ofa skelp bar mill, of a pair of: devices encountered successively by each piece in'its forward movemenheach said device operating to sever one front corner of said piece and to cupthe severed edge, andsaid two devices cooperating to bend the front endso pointedand-{cupped 9... In apparatusof the classdescribed,'the V V combination; with means for continuing the forward longitudinal movement of-successively cut-off piecesofthe hot rolled productof a. skelp barmill, of a cutting device on each side of the path of said piecesand obliquely disposed thereto, 'saidcutting devices being successively encounteredby the opposite front corners of each piece, as the latter moves forward for the pointing of said pieceby the-severance of said corners. 10.'In apparatus of the class described,

the combination withmeans for continuing the forward longitudinalmovement of suc- ;cessivelycut-off pieces of the hot rolled prod uct of a skelp bar mill, of a set of skewed cuttingrollers on eitherside of the pathof said pieces, for operation successively on the opposite front corners of each piece, to re 11. In apparatus of the class deseribed,

the combination with mealis for continuing the forward longitudinal movement of successlvely cut-off pleces ofthe "hotrolled product of a, skelp barf inill, of a set of skewed cutting rollers on either side of the path of said pieces, for operationsucces- Tsively on the oppos te front corners ofeach piece, to ren ve said cornersand thereby fpoint thejfront end of. the piece, said cut ting rollers having cooperating portions,

adjacent their cuttingl edges, for imparting a downward cup? to the, mater-ml along each "edge so severed.

12. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for continuing the forwardlongitudmal movement ofCsue-T cessively cut-0E pieces of the hot rolled product of a skelp bar mill, of a set of skewed cutting rollers on either side of the path of said pieces, for operation successively on the opposite front corners of each piece, to remove said corners and thereby point the front end of each piece, each set of cutting rollers having its plane of severance above the normal plane of travel of the piece, thereby to impart an upward bend to the front end of said piece for the length of the severed edges thereof.

13. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for continuing the forward longitudinal movement of successively cut-off pieces of the hot rolled product of a skelp bar mill, of means encountered successively by each piece in its said forward movement for pointing, cupping, and bending the front end of said piece, means for shingling the pieces so pointed, cupped and bent by the continuance of said longitudinal movement, and means responsive to such movement and to such shingling for s assembling said pieces in packs or piles on a cooling bed.

14L. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a set of skewed conveyer rolls for continuing the forward movement of successively cut-off pieces of the hot rolled product of a skelp bar mill, a side guide against which one longitudinal edge of each piece is maintained, by the action of said skewed rollers, a cutting device overhanging said side guide and disposed obliquely thereto, for the severance of a front corner from each piece, a second set of skewed conveyor rollers for continuing the forward movement of each piece after such severance, said second set of rollers being skewed oppositely to those of the first set, whereby the piece, in its continued forward movement, moves broadside across said second set of rollers, a second side guide associated with said second set of rollers against which the other longitudinal edge of the piece is thus maintained, and a second cutting device, overhanging said second side guide and disposed obliquely thereto, for severing the other front corner of said piece as the latter is carried forward on said second set of conveyor rollers.

1.5. I11 the manufacture and conditioning of skelp bar, the improvement which consists in first cutting the hot rolled product to the desired lengths, then subjecting the successively cut-off pieces of the hot rolled product to pointing, cupping and bending operations, and thereafter assembling said pieces in pack formation for cooling.

16. In the manufacture and conditioning of skelp bar for use in pipe making, the improvement which consists in first cutting the hot rolled product into desired lengths and then subjecting successively cut-off pieces of the rolled product, prior to their assemblage in pack formation for cooling, to pointing, cupping and bending operations on their front ends, whereby the necessity for breaking up the packs of bars, after cooling, eliminated.

17. The herein described method for the manufacture and conditioning of skelp bar for use in pipe making, which consists in sub- .jecting the front end of each piece of the pieces of the hot rolled product of a skelp bar mill, in the longitudinal travel of said pieces from the cut-off means to a cooling bed or other receiving device.

19. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for assembling successively cut-off pieces of skelp in pack formation, of means operable on each piece, between the cut-01f means and said assembling means, for pointing, cupping and bending the front end thereof.

20. In apparatus of the class described, a cooling bed for the reception of skelp bar in packs, a shear for cutting off successive pieces of the product of a skelp bar mill, means for assembling in pack formation a plurality of successive pieces delivered by said shear, in the travel of said pieces toward said cooling bed, and means operable on said pieces, before such assemblage, and after said shearing to point, cup and bend their front ends.

21. In apparatus of the class described, a shear for cutting the product of askelp bar mill, means for assembling successively cutoff longitudinally moving bars in pack formation, in. combination With means operable individually on each bar, during its longitudinal movement between said shear andsaid assembling means, to point, cup and bend its front end.

Dated this 19th day of August, 1927.

JOHN W. SHEPERDSON. 

